Piracy And Armed Robbery Against Ships In Latin America And The Caribbean 2017

Main Messages:

Anchorage crime against yachts continues as the most pressing issue. Incidents involving yachts made up roughly 59 percent of all cases.

Anchorages in Venezuela, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Colombia, and St. Lucia represented incident hotspots in Latin America and the Caribbean during 2017.

In 2017, Oceans Beyond Piracy recorded 71 incidents in Latin America and the Caribbean. Most incidents in the region occurred in territorial waters, with anchored yachts being the primary targets for attackers.

Mapping Of Attacks In Latin America

Overview: Incidents In Latin America And The Caribbean

Latin America & The Caribbean Human Cost

In 2017, 854 seafarers were affected by piracy and armed robbery in Latin America and the Caribbean; an increase from 527 impacted seafarers in 2016. A significant increase was observed in failed boardings and attacks, as well as robberies.

Latin America & the Caribbean: Seafarer Known Nationalities

This graphic represents the known nationalities of 229 1 of the 438 seafarers exposed to piracy and armed robbery at sea in 2017 as reported to the IMB. The nationalities of the other 209 are unverified.

Latin America & The Caribbean Economic Cost

As with last year’s State of Maritime Piracy report, OBP did not calculate a total economic cost for piracy and armed robbery in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, OBP did calculate the value of stolen ship stores and crew belongings. Ship stores were stolen in 41 incidents and crew belongings were reported stolen on 18 occasions in 2017. In total, roughly $949,000 dollars’ worth of goods were stolen in 2017.